ForwardFirst off thanks to Dielzen and Zemyla for their guides on 339, and to Pellanor for consolidating information within those. I decided that we needed a lycanthrope guide here, and I love them enough to provide it. So for your reading pleasure, I present you with this labor of love.

For those interested in contributing to this handbook, or just talking about it, a discussion thread can be found here (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1996).

Also, 123456789blaaa (what a name) has created a thread for the best base animals and builds here (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6948.msg0)since this guide is a general build guide. If you have any ideas for specific lycanthrope builds go ahead and post them over there so that other people can make use of them.

Now, on to the good stuff.

Lycanthropy Basics

Lycanthropy TemplatesThere are three basic templates. 1) The main Lycanthropy template, found in the SRD. Turn into an animal or a hybrid, get some nifty bonuses. 2) The Entomanothropy (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040621a) template, turn into a vermin instead of an animal 3) The Blacktooth Lycanthropy (http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/lycanthrope.shtml) template from Dragon 129, turn into an animal and get mediocre bonuses for an outrageous LA. Honestly I don't even think it is worth it for NPCs.

Things to Remember when making a LycanthropePicking a base animal: The hit dice of the animal chosen are added to your hit dice total, that means that your ECL is equal to racial ECL + LA from the template + animal hit dice. Minimizing animal hit dice is a plus, they have Cleric BAB and 2+Int skill points per level. In addition, animal hit dice are NEVER your first hit dice. This means that you can't replace them with a class level.

Also remember that when in animal/hybrid form you gain ability score adjustments based on the animal's ability scores. The thing to remember is that ability scores are rarely as useful as character levels. You also get the animal's feats as bonus feats. Keep this in mind when picking an animal, bonus feats you'll actually use are the goal. (Some people think that you have to take all feats of the animal as listed on the statblock. I disagree, Dungeonscape shows that monster feat choices are not set in stone. However, Bonus Feats obviously cannot be changed.)

Lastly, as of the MM errata: "A creature cannot use alternate form to take the form of a creature with a template." So goodbye templated base animals.

Hybrid Form: Remember that by default hybrid form DOES NOT gain any of the special attacks from the base animal, and most of your combat will be in hybrid form so that you can keep your gear. It does keep the base creature's special attacks however. In addition, the base lycanthropy template grants two claw and one bite attacks as natural attacks, regardless of what natural attacks are available to the animal form. However, the hybrid form retains all the special qualities of both the base creature and the base animal. Regeneration is a big one that comes to mind.

Also, hybrid form has the movement speeds of the base creature, and DOES NOT GAIN THE MOVEMENT SPEEDS OF THE BASE ANIMAL. Even if the animal can fly (which a lycanthrope can do as well in animal form), the hybrid form cannot fly.

Alternate Form Rules: The Alternate Form rules state that as long as the form you're turning into can wear/carry your gear, that gear changes size to match that of your new form. This means that your hybrid form can keep using all your gear regardless of its size.

They also state: "The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian's rage class feature)." The natural armor isn't a problem since the Lycanthropy template specifically overrides that, but the extraordinary special attacks section is something to remember.

Lastly: "Apply any changed physical ability score modifiers in all appropriate areas with one exception: the creature retains the hit points of its original form despite any change to its Constitution." On the plus, less math. On the minus, less hp for the high con animals.

Lycanthropy and Entomanothropy have the same base race requirements: Humanoid or Giant no more than one size class smaller than the chosen animal/vermin. This is a list of all base races up to ECL 15 that qualify.

Awesome idea. I'll see if I can contribute more later. Do note that only carnivorous/omnivorous/scavenger animals can be used, thus Caribou is right out. I think Protoceratops likely is too, but I didn't check the book (I'm assuming they're like triceratops, which I'm pretty sure was a herbivore). Pony and probably a few other things would be disqualified, also, unfortunately.

If advancing hit dice is legal, a 4 HD dire badger is an awesome animal to base one off of.

Awesome idea. I'll see if I can contribute more later. Do note that only carnivorous/omnivorous/scavenger animals can be used, thus Caribou is right out. I think Protoceratops likely is too, but I didn't check the book (I'm assuming they're like triceratops, which I'm pretty sure was a herbivore). Pony and probably a few other things would be disqualified, also, unfortunately.

If advancing hit dice is legal, a 4 HD dire badger is an awesome animal to base one off of.

Where were you when I made this on bg? :P The list of animals was taken from another guide, I never went through it to see if some entries aren't legal. I'll start going through that, and any additions to the guide would be helpful. For example, some Lycanthropic items.

Attention Handbook Writers! If you wish to openly discuss your handbook in an easily-accessible location, please start a thread in this section (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?board=15.0) (Do not do so in the Handbooks section), and then reply to this thread (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1988.0). Doing so is not required, but handbooks exist for the purpose of compiling useful information regarding the 3.X system. Such handbooks would do well to have a discussion thread.

o Quick Change (SS) - Makes it so that changing into your hybrid or animal form is only a move action. It is a generally okay feat, but becomes great with the capstone of the Warshaper prestige class.o Silver Fang (CoV) - Prevents you from being able to infect others with lycanthropy as well as making your natural attacks count as silver. Nice for flavor or if you have a habit of not killing things. o Mark of Twelve Moons (Dragonmarked, p142) - +1 inherent bonus to an ability score (meh), and a +10 bonus on all Control Shape checks for afflicted Lycanthropes (Very nice). This is campaign setting specific (but not race specific as it requires a Siberys dragonmark) but it can make a huge difference.

Prestige Classes

Black Blood Hunter (PGtF)

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o Greater Curse of Lycanthropy - You can infect others easier. Whoopee.o Lycanthropic Spell - You can cast spells while shapechanged. Would be nice except what spellcaster would want to be a lycanthrope?o Wild Items - I can wear all the same fancy gear the druid does while in my hybrid form? Yes please!o Animal Aspect - Why not just change into your hybrid form?o Wild Empathy - Blah.o Improved Hybrid Form - THIS IS THE POINT OF TAKING THIS PRC! You can use ALL of your base animal's special attacks now. Rake, Pounce, Poison, you name it!o Improved Vile Damage - More damage isn't bad, but the fact that it's vile doesn't mean much.o Improved Damage Reduction - More DR is good, more requirements on bypassing your DR is better.o Faster Change - Not awesome, but good.o Quick Change - Free actions are free!

Moon Guardian (CD Web Enhancement)

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o Natural Spell- Free Natural Spell as a bonus feat. The thing is, Natural Spell technically doesn't work with lycanthropic alternate forms.o Voluntary Change - Useful.o Rapid Change - Not awesome, but good.o Instantaneous Change - Once again, free actions are free. And it specifically says you can do it in response to another's actions.

The reason this class is Red is because you lose a minimum of 6 CASTER LEVELS. Bare minumum: 1 Animal HD, 2 LA, and 3 from the PRC.

Warshaper (CW)

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Note that all class abilities are only usable when shape-changed, ergo in hybrid or animal form. As you will spend most combats in hybrid form this is an acceptable restriction.o Morphic Immunities- You are now immune to stunning and critical hits. o Morphic Weapons- There is a lot of debate on this one. Either it allows you to gain an arbitrarily large number of natural attacks or it doesn't. At a minimum you can increase the damage of one of your attacks by a die size, which isn't bad at all.o Morphic Body- +4 Strength, +4 Constitution. Extra stats are always nice.o Morphic Reach- You reach with ALL of your natural weapons increases by five feet.o Morphic Healing- Fast healing 2 is pretty much only good for out of combat healing, and since the earliest you would get this is level 11 (2LA, 1 Animal, 4 full BAB class, and four levels of Warshaper) out of combat healing shouldn't be a problem. Spending a full round action to maybe gain 10 hit points is just plain stupid.o Flashmorph- You don't get multimorph, don't even bother looking at it. You now change shape as a move action, woo. Taking the Quick Change feat and changing shape as a free action is wonderful.

Notes on Base Classes

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o Tome of Battle is your friend, half of your animal HD are calculated to determine your initiator level.o Also, due to the wording of the Ardent class, the Practiced Manifester feat will keep you from being too far behind.o You can wildshape and then use alternate form for additional bonuses. Druid would be a bad idea (yes, even with the Moon Guardian prestige class) but Wilshape Ranger is a possibility.